Framing device for pile fabrics and method of using same



Oct. 29, 1957 R. A. HILL ET l'AL 2,811,248

FRAMING DEVICE FOR FILE FABRICS AND METHOD OF USING sAM Filed Oct. s. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 leg I I o 0 J?" A INVENTORS W (LW wig AT TORNJJYS Oct. 29, 1957 R. A. HILL ETAL 2,811,248

FRAMING DEVICE FOR PILE FABRICS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Filed Oct. s. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (9 i E IN VEN TORS W a. M

ATTORNEYS United States Patent FRAMING DEVICE FOR PILE FABRICS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Application October 3, 1956, Serial No. 613,734 .7 Claims. (Cl. 206-51 This invention relates to a framing device for pile fabrics and method of using same, and particularly to such a device in which a piece of pile fabric, as manufactured, may be rolled up for storage or shipment and to the method ofputting the fabric in such a frame.

As distinguished from fiat fabrics which can be rolled into a compact body, it is necessary, in the case of pile fabrics,'to maintain some space between each successive layer of the roll in order to protect the pile from being wrinkled or crushed. The method which has been employed for many years to accomplish this made use of a multiplicity of hooks mounted on a frame so that the fabric could be suspended by the selvage from hook to hook in an expanding square or rectangular pattern. This method requires very tedious hand labor to perform, besides employing relatively expensive hooks and frames.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means for rolling a pile fabric rapidly and easily into spiral form with the successive layers evenly spaced. It is proposed to attain this object by the use of zipper type fasteners,

as set forth below. *"A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus specially designed for rolling up a piece of pile fabric and for forming a strong and convenient package for shipment or storage, and the method of doing so.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a roll of pile fabric as formed into a completed package, parts of the package being broken away,

Fig. 2 represents an elevation of one of the end discs to which an edge of the fabric is to be attached,

Fig. 3 represents a detail section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 represents a detail perspective view of an edge of the fabric prepared for rolling,

Fig. 5 represents a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the package, parts being broken away,

Fig. 6 represents a detail perspective view of a portion of a modified form of end disc,

Fig. 7 represents a view, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, of a form of apparatus adapted for use in rolling a piece of pile fabric as proposed herein,

Fig. 8 represents a detail diagrammatic plan view of the slider-pulling arm as used in the rolling of the fabric, and

Fig. 9 represents a detail end view, on the line IXIX of Fig. 7 and on a larger scale showing one of the latch fingers.

Referring to the drawings, the end disc 1 is formed of a suitable stiff and strong material such as wood or metal. On one of its faces is attached, as by stapling or adhesive, the tape 2 bearing zipper type fastener elements 3, the tape being at least as long as the piece of pile fabric to be rolled, and being mounted on the disc 1 in a close spiral starting near the middle of the disc, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Another disc 1 designed to to constitute the opposite end of the roll or package is similarly formed except that the spiral'is reversed.

When a piece of pile fabric has been woven and is ready to be rolled it is run through stitching devices which baste on each selvage a tape 4 bearing fastener elements 5 which are complementary to the elements ,3 and adapted to be engaged therewith. Referring to Fig. 4, the pile portion of the fabric is indicated at 6, the selvage at 7'and the basting stitches at 8. As an alternative, the fastener tape may be heat scalable so that it can be applied to the selvage continuously by a hot roller.

In order to form a rolled package of the fabric, a pair of end discs 1, 1 are mountedin rotating chucklike driving heads 9, 9' (Fig. 7) where they are held in any convenient manner as, for instance, by meansof springactuated latch fingers 10 accommodated in slots '11 formed around the periphery of each disc- The heads 9, 9' are supported on suitable stands and are motor driven in synchronism in the same direction, a motor 12 being shown, while the drive connection to the opposite head is omitted. The head 9 is shown as being mounted on a carriage 13 which can be moved, as by the hand wheel 14 and screw 15, to adjust the spacing between the heads 9 and 9'. Each head may be provided with a manually operated latch release plate 16, for instance, adapted to press in the rear ends 10 of the latch fingers and thus release them all simultaneously. The specific form of the mechanisms just described may. evidently be varied in many respects whilestill serving the same purpose.

In operation, the end discs are mounted in the driving heads, asstated, and are spaced somewhat closer together than the width of thefabric to be rolled. A piece .:adapted to cause interengagement ofithe respective 'fas tener strips. Each slider is then attached, as by a cord or wire 18, to a holding arm 19 in order to keep the sliders from rotating with the discs, and the heads are rotated in order to secure the fabric edges automatically to the discs in a slightly loose spiral roll. Upon completion of the roll, the fastener ends or the sliders are secured by staples or otherwise to keep them from reopening. The carriage 13 is moved outwardly to take up the slack across the width of the fabric and a wrapper 20 of corrugated board or the like is wrapped around the roll of fabric and fastened at its edges around the edges of the end discs, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The longitudinal seam may be sealed by means of tape or the like. The latch fingers 10 are then moved to free the discs, the driving heads are further separated, and the strong, compact cylindrical package of fabric is ready for shipment, storage, etc.

In order to unroll the fabric, or any part of it, the package can be placed on an axial shaft passing through the holes 21 in each end disc and provided with stops to prevent too much loosening of the roll, the sliders being held by hand and moved in the unfastening direction as the roll is turned, or the sliders can be attached to arms such as the arms 19 mentioned above. If the entire roll of fabric is to be unrclled, the sliders can be removed entirely and the fasteners will strip open as the fabric is unrolled.

If available, apparatus similar to that used for winding the roll could be used in an obvious manner for unwinding it. When a length of fabric is unrolled for use, the fastener tape along its selvages can be removed merely by taking out the stitches 8 and it can be saved in its full original length for re-use or can be cut off and discarded.

A modified form of end disc is shown in Fig. 6, this disc being formed from a spiral sandwich of the fastener tape 22 with an elongated strip of filler material 23, such as'corrngatedboard nnplasti auound tightly together and cemented by a suitable adhesive into a monolithic unit. This unit, as shown, is further strengthened by being imouirtedeon' a iwnodiroirenietal sbacking disc :24 "similarcto -the disctlgtrbuti theisandwich structure-alonemay be strong ienoughitosseweaits pd o'sein 'some instances and with some niatePiaISmc 9." r: a. f i=. 1

The:eempleted:package,:made as set fort-h,; depends 'for .iitssrig'iditytonizthe cylindrical outercovering, which may be 'furthen strengthened :by" the:;provision -of longitudinal reinforcing; strips-5 If ide'sired,.- the;zend discs could be imounted 'gi'dlypriadjustably on an: axial tube or shaft Idf fixede'or cstariable length; such as telescoping tube sections connected by jackimeans forwaryingtherspacing of the discszsilf-iflaep endidisesizaiiecfixedly mounted on an a'xiahtiihervfistrnhglpaperiiforrinstance, the spacing of the discsishouldribe suchfas'stospenmit rolling the fabric with dhewleasb possible transverserslack; while such semi-tight isrolling imaynbe moreediificult. than the :slack' rolling desscritiedfahoveg itip'errnitssuse ofi'asimpler supporting and rolling menhanismiandrproduces. a stronger finalupackage. *Whiie metailicsorrsdlidiplastic zipper elements are sugand a cylindrical wrapper secured at its ends to the peripheries of said discs.

2. A package according to claim 1, in which the end discs are solid and in which the strips of fastener elements are secured to one flat surface of each disc.

3. A package according toclaim 1 in which each end disc includes {a spirally Jaminated body and -irr:which-the strips of fastener elements are anchored ingsaid laminated bodies.

'4. A packageaccordingto claim 1'; -in which the 'meaiis for holding the discsparallel and spaced comprises a cylindrical wrapper secured at its ends to "the" peripheries of said discs.

S.L-' 1'he.rnethod of packaging pile fabric which includes, providing a pair. .of end discs each.having a continuous fastener elementin strip formsecured'spirally on one face thereof, attaching to each selvage of an elongated web of pile. fabricacontinuous fastenerelement in strip gested; ibyethe ednawings and "text ;above, it will-be under- 1 r'stoodflhatrcooperating:fastening elements of other types, su'ch asnhoseicomprising interlockingicbntinuous. grooves, couldsbe .substitutedfif desired, and. other details of form, 1;constru'ctioniandmrrangementare likewise subject to modi- =fication within .thezscope of this invention.

'Whatweclaim1is:. ;l.r'A pilefabric' package comprising, apair of end discs in facingi parallel relation, a continuous fastener element in strip" form dixedspirally on each of the oppogsite"facingssurfacesttof xsaid;.discs, an. elongated web of -zpile fabricdiavingia continuous: fastener element in strip form fixedaalong suhs'tantially theentireilength of each 'selvage,tithe fastenerselements onthe discs being complementary toithose on the, selvages and engaged there- 'rwith 'sbvthat-the web :is: held in spirally rolled formation with-rthetconvolir'tionsof the Web'spaced from each other,

form complementary to said first-named :fastenerelements and-engageable therewith, holding said discs paralleland spaced -'by-a distance "not substantially greater than-the width of said-fabric webgengaging corresponding ends'of the selvage fastener stripswith theinner ends 'ofr-thexdisc 1 fastener-strips, rotating said discs, andcausing said complementary fastener elements to interengage progressively alongthelength of said fabric web.

-6, The method according to claim 5, which: includes,

3 moving said discs apart to tighten-the fabric-web across its width, and fixing said discs in said spaced apart position, 7 1 7. The method according to. claim 5 which -ineludes applying a cplindrical protective wrapper around;the.qut-

side-of the;fastener-supportedfabric and securing-said wrapper to the peripheries of said discs.

References Citedinthe file of patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 499,774 Bancroft June 20, i893 

